Frederick and Bernhardine Stolte in Illinois

Siblings (mentioned in my We Relate article:Stolte in Lengerich, North Rhine-Westphalia) Catharina Bernhardine Friedericka and Frederick Wilhelm Heinrich Stolte arrived in the United States in 1868, destination St Louis (Ancestry.com, New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957). Their parents are listed as Friedrich Wilhelm and Friederike Elisabeth (Kreggemeyer) Stolte (International Genealogical Index [IGI] batch C952791). They are the second and third of four children.

According to family traditions their father was a brother to Hermann Stolte and Rudolph Stolte who came to Madison County, IL in the early 1860’s. These sources also list the father’s birth date as 16 Apr 1823. This is problematic since Hermann and Rudolph do not have a brother born on that date. It even seems unlikely that one is missed since there is a brother Friederich Rudolph born 9 Aug 1822 and Hermann is born 24 Oct 1825 leaving a window that seems to short to add another birth. In addition there is no Stolte in the Lengerich christenings for that year. If Friederick Rudolph is meant, then the birth date is wrong (Family Group sheet prepared by B Jahnke from Lengerich church records). However, I propose that the date has been mixed up and the eldest brother Johann Wilhelm Stolte is the father. He was born 23 Apr 1816. Has someone either unfamiliar with European dating or reading an all numerical date transposed the date and year? That would fit. According to IGI records of the Lengerich Evangelisch Kirche Bernhardine and Frederick’s mother was a Kreggemeyer (Batch C 952791). Johann Wilhelm marries Catharina Friederike Elisabeth Kreggemeyer 24 May 1843 according to church records (IGI Batch M952794). Hence I proceed with the following register.

Johann Eberhard Wilhelm Stolte, born 26 Jun 1790, in Hohne, Lengerich, Westphalia and Catharine Elisabeth Luebke, born 25 May 1789 in Lengerich were married 14 Dec 1814 in Lengerich (IGI M952772). They had six children. The oldest was Johann Wilhelm Philipp Stolte, born 23 Apr 1816, married on 24 May 1843 in Lengerich to Catharina Friederike Elisabeth Kreggemeyer, born 25 Jul 1817, Gerhard Heinrich Stolte was born 12 Mar 1818. Rudolph Eberhard Stolte, born 5 Jan 1829 in Hohne, Lengerich immigrated to America in 1854. Friederich Rudolph Stolte, born 9 Aug 1822. Hermann Heinrich Friedrich Stolte, born 24 Oct 1825 in Hohne and immigrated to America in 1853. Catharina Christine Stolte, born 1 Nov 1827. (These dates are based on the research of German genealogist Brigitte Jahnke and IGI batches C952779, J952796, and M952794.) The parents died at a relatively young age forcing the children to live with relatives and godparents. This probably spurred thoughts of emigration. The oldest son would have some inheritance and stayed in Germany. Likewise, of his four children, the first son would be most likely to stay but leaving Bernhardine and Frederick to follow their uncles to America. Wilhelm and Friederike Kreggemeyer Stolte had four children. Fredrick William Stolte, born 19 Jan 1845. Catharina Bernhardine Friedericka Stolte, born 19 Aug 1848 in Hohne, Lengerich, Westfalia/Prussia. Frederick Wilhelm Heinrich Stolte, born 7 Sep 1850 in Hohne. Heinrich Eberhard Stolte, born 1856. (These are recorded in IGI batches C952791 and C952792.)

Bernhardine was baptized on 3 Sep 1848 in the Evangelisch Kirche, Lengerich (IGI batch C952791). She departed from Bremen on the Niagara and arrived at New York on 17 Jul 1868 and traveled to St Louis, MO (Ancestry.com, New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957). There she met Johann Harman Ebmeier, born on 9 Feb 1848 in Hanover, Germany (Fayette Facts, XIV, 4, p.34). He had arrived in America in 1866 (1900 US Census). They were married in St Louis by Pastor G R Whelans on 14 May 1871 (Ancestry.com, Missouri Marriage Records, 1805-2002; Decatur Daily Review, 17 Oct 1937, p. 7). This marriage record shows that other family histories that list the marriage location as Lengerich are wrong. The couple already was in America when they met. The couple settled in Richland, Shelby County, IL and raised six children. John died on 4 May 1916 and was buried in St Paul Lutheran Cemetery, Prairie Township (south of Strasburg), Shelby County, IL (Shelby County Death Certificate #0035814). Dina then spent time between two daughters Emily and Elizabeth. She died at Elizabeth Kull’s home in Strasburg, IL on 12 Oct 1927. The funeral service was at the Lutheran Church in Strasburg with Pastor E F Muellar officiating, burial in St Paul’s Cemetery (Decatur Daily Review, 17 Oct 1937, p. 7).

Their children are:

       Elizabeth F Ebmeier, born Sep 1874, and married Jacob J Kull about 1905. They lived in Strasburg, IL. 
       John Harmen Ebmeier Jr, born 15 Sep 1877, married Elnora Bankard (WW I Draft Record). He died in Sioux City, IA on 15 Jun 1967 (Social Security Death Index). 
       Sophie Ebmeier, born in Dec 1879 in Strasburg and died on 25 Sep 1880.  She is buried in St Paul’s Cemetery (Barbara J Thomas, St Paul Cemetery Records). 
       Emilie (also called Emma) Sophia Wilhelmina Ebmeier, born Aug 1882 in Strasburg and married       Herman Henry Dannenburg (1876-1928). She died in 1953 in Mattoon, IL (Fayette Facts, XIV, 4, p.34).  
       William Ebmeier, born on 11 May 1886 according to some family histories. However the St Paul Cemetery records has this as his death date, aged 1 y 10m 28 ds. That would make the birth in Jul 1884 (Barbara J Thomas, St Paul Cemetery Records). 
       Alvena S Ebmeier, born in May 1887 and married Frank J Bingaman, born about 1885. She died in Mt Zion, IL in Apr 1968 (Social Security Death Index).

       Fred or Fritz was baptized on 22 Sep 1850 in the Evangelisch Kirche, Lengerich, Prussia (IGI batch C952791). He arrived in America with his sister Bernhardine (see above) in 1868. In 1870 he is probably a farm hand on his uncle Rudolph’s farm (1870 US Census), He marries Sophie Depner, born on 8 Jan 1858 in Troy, Madison County, IL, in Troy on 18 Mar 1879 (information shared by Rex David Stolte). They were farming near his uncle Herman Stolte in 1880 (1880 US Census), but by 1887 they were near his sister Bernhardine in Shelby County, IL (Children Herman and following are born there). From there they moved to Wheatland Township, Fayette County, IL (1910 US Census). He died on 14 Mar 1930 in Old Loogootee, Fayette County, IL and was buried in Sidener Cemetery, Row 8, Wheatland Township (information shared by Rex David Stolte). His wife died on 1 Nov 1940 in St James, IL and was buried in Sidener Cemetery (Fayette Facts, Wheatland Township Cemeteries). 

They had eight children.

       Henry Fredrick Stolte, born on 24 Dec 1879. Henry married Wilhelmina Gottman about 1900. He died on 29 Apr 1939 in Nokomis, Montgomery County, IL (information shared by Rex David Stolte).
       John Louis Henry Stolte, born on 21 Jul 1880 in Troy. Louis married Iva Earnest on 8 Feb 1907. He died on 22 Oct 1949 in Vandalia, Fayette County, IL and was buried in Sidener Cemetery (Fayette Facts, Wheatland Township Cemeteries)..
       John Henry William Stolte, born on 20 Apr 1883. William died on 13 Jun 1936 in St Elmo, Fayette County, IL (information shared by Rex David Stolte) and was buried in Sidener Cemetery (Fayette Facts, Wheatland Township Cemeteries)..
       Charles Frederick Stolte, born on 7 May 1885. Fred married Estella Mae Harris in 1913. He died on 24 Jun 1940 in St James, IL (information shared by Rex David Stolte).
       Herman William Stolte, born on 19 Feb 1887 in Shelby County, IL. Herman married Rose Mae Skidmore on 25 Dec 1915 in St Peters, IL (Vandalia Leader 2 Feb 1961, p. 1). He died on 30 Jan 1961 in Decatur, IL (information shared by Rex David Stolte) and was buried in Sidener Cemetery (Fayette Facts, Wheatland Township Cemeteries).
       Heinrich L F Stolte, born on 25 Jul 1889, died on 3 Sep 1889 and was buried at St Paul’s Cemetery outside Strasburg, IL (Barbara J Thomas, St Paul Cemetery Records).
       August Henry Stolte, born on 14 Sep 1890 in Shelby County, IL, was married to Rena May Craig on 12 Jul 1918. August died in the army at Camp Custer, MI on 29 Oct 1918 (Frederick M Hanes, Fayette County in the World War, p. 77) and was buried in Sidener Cemetery (Fayette Facts, Wheatland Township Cemeteries).
       Anna Elsie Stolte, born on 22 Jun 1894 in Strasburg, Shelby County, IL. Lizzie married Louis Altevogt in 1917. She died on 23 Apr 1980 in Hillsboro, Montgomery County, IL (information shared by Rex David Stolte).

--Urset 18:39, 4 September 2008 (EDT)